CH 206

I had lunch with Koizumi, Miura, and Hino-kun, who welcomed me and President back at the student council tent.

Our conversation was mainly about checking the afternoon schedule and the performance of the students in the morning session.

I remember feeling a bit embarrassed that the three-legged duo of me and Shizuku were the first to be mentioned in the conversation.

Apparently Koizumi was also in that race with Miura.

In addition to not listening to the story, I didn’t notice because I was too busy with myself.

They were third in the running order and second from the back, so they were out of my view.

Well, it feels like you’ve fallen on your knees in front of our duo, you know.

I said smugly, and Koizumi just smiled at me, while Miura gave me a deadly stare.

Thank you very much.

I will try not to speak out of turn in front of Miura-san again.

Hino-kun was competing in an individual event at this year’s Sports festival, so it seems that he will not be in the afternoon session.

His sad eyes, which said he was going to work hard on his student council’s laborious work, were filled with an indescribable loneliness.

In this kind of event, the competition really changes depending on the relationship with the people around you.

I’m no exception to this rule, as there are no events that I participate in except for the three-legged race.

Shizuku and Kirasaka joined us as we were discussing the afternoon’s work.

“Minato-kun, I’m sorry I left you alone.”

“If you were eating alone, you should have come inside the school with me.”

The two of them opened their mouths to tell me when they saw my bento spread out on the desk under the tent.

As far as Shizuku is concerned, it can’t be helped since she’s dealing with her classmates. Also, I don’t have the option to follow Kirasaka when I don’t know where she’s going.

She is likely to eat at the library or some other appropriate place because of the way she is, but it’s over already. What can I do now?

Hearing their words, it was not me but President sitting next to me who spoke up.

“Shinra was have been fine, since he had me with him.”

Fearlessly she said to the two of them as if she was trying to provoke them with an expression that was perfect for that sentence.

At President’s words, both of them changed their expressions to a serious one.

Even if she was joking, the two of them were very cautious in this situation because she was an unreadable person in terms of her actions and thoughts.

If you ask me, it just looks like the older sister is teasing her younger sisters…

The air was tense under the tent, and the conversation proceeded with Koizumi and the others looking on in bewilderment.

“President, …so you were with Minato-kun?”

“I don’t think you’ve taken Shinra-kun out for anything other than student council business, Akane-san.”

A cold, piercing gaze turns to the President.

Even I would shudder if I were put in such a situation, but President answered without hesitation.

“Well, I just invited a lonely looking junior to lunch who was all alone.

Hino-kun and Koizumi in the back were so scared of Shizuku and Kirasaka that they looked so pale like they’d fainted already.

The three of them, who would have been good friends if nothing else, turned around and turned into a chaotic relationship.

This is what I call a woman’s fight…scary.

…But, as long as the root of the problem lies with me, it is inevitable that the role of mediator will be mine as well.

“I was just eating while I met the student council…”

I tell them succinctly, omitting unnecessary words.

The two of them, although not convinced, reluctantly sat down at the vacant seat and their gazes fell on the President.

“The only thing that happened was that Shinra’s father came to deliver his bento …so we decided to eat them together.”

The explanation given by the President’s mouth met with a reaction, mainly from Shizuku.

The surprising look might be because she had similar thoughts about my father as I did.

Immediately, her gaze meets mine.

“Did your father come to watch the Sports festival?”

“…No, of course not, he just came as the courier guy.”

I answered negatively to Shizuku’s question.

Then, although she was also disappointed, she let out a sigh as if it could not be helped.

“Is that so…”

“Well, when you’re in high school, it’s less likely that your parents will visit your Sports festival.”

When I uttered a few random words that were meant to soothe the situation, a surprising response came back to me.

Kirasaka, who was sitting next to Shizuku, said a few words shortly.

“Oh, my parents are watching from the principal’s office.”

“…”

Are you serious…?

The head of one of Japan’s largest and most prominent corporations and his wife are watching a sports festival in a country town?

What is that? Is it my imagination that I feel like the importance of this athletic festival has instantly gone up?

I mean, it would mean that the scavenger hunt was also being watched, right?　

Perhaps I was right to be on the lookout for snipers at that time.

I secretly resolved to spend the day watching my back, then President changed the subject after confirming that the conversation was not moving forward.

“Now that the two of you are here, let’s go over the afternoon plans—.”

And with the President as the center, the confirmation of the activities in the afternoon began.

…Shizuku and Kirasaka did not question about the matter that they are completely treated similarly.

The sports festival is an important event to reconfirm the bonds between the students.

Before the school’s biggest event, the cultural festival, the emphasis is on reaffirming the students’ friendships.

Therefore, there is no problem as long as the students are united.

That is why there are no restrictions on the number of times students can participate.

As a result, our three groups won the second year competition with a very foul strategy.

It was the ‘secret’ method of using Ogiwara Yuuto.

Naturally, the students were excited by the fact that Yuuto was participating. Mainly the girls.

And the boys, not wanting to be complained about by the girls, inevitably cheered for Yuuto.

What a sense of unity, this is what the deans were talking about, reaffirming the connection between the students.

I was convinced, no, really convinced.

The afternoon’s events included a cavalry battle, inter-class relays, and relays for club activities.

There were also performances by each grade, with first- and second-year students dancing and third-year students doing group gymnastics.

The performances of each grade were held for the parents and the general audience, and were not counted in the score.

So, the students were somewhat relaxed and enjoying themselves.

I was in charge of the music for the dance, and for the third graders, I was in charge of supporting the students on stage with the microphone.

Hino-kun would be in charge of carrying the heavy stuff, and I would do the rest.

In terms of excitement, I have no complaints.

Shiraishi was the first-year student, Shizuku and the other three second-year students, and the president of the third-year students each attracted attention, and everyone around them was excited.

People are attracted to talented people.

There is no place for me to stand beside them at the center of the group.

My job now is to support them behind the scenes.

Even so, the student council is probably the reason I feel more fulfilled than I did at last year’s Sports festival.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been so busy, but I don’t feel bad about it.

The events went on one after another, and after the last competition, the team gymnastics, the Sports festival was over.

This was the last Sports festival for the third-years.

As someone who was entrusted with the management of the event, I was happy that the event was able to end without major problems.

At the closing ceremony, the president announced the winning team.

The three of us in the yellow group won first place, and the students were very happy to have received the meal coupons they had longed for.

At the back of my mind, I still wonder if this was really the right thing to do.

Shizuku and Kirasaka were not forced to participate in the competition, but Yuuto was affected by it.

He was also gracious enough to take it in, so his classmates didn’t mind, but that was the only regret I had.

I wondered if he, too, had a gymnastics festival that he enjoyed.

In a sense, Yuuto Ogiwara may not know how to enjoy himself.

I couldn’t call up Yuuto, who was surrounded by the students who were in the biggest excitement because he won the championship, and ask him such a question.

At the end of the sports festival, after the students had returned to their classrooms, the student council and other students who volunteered to help were cleaning up.

While the students were cleaning up sparsely, there was a student who was looking at the place where the supporters’ seats had been set up in the middle of the ground, where no one was already there.

It was Hiiragi Akane, the student body president.

The last gymnastic festival as the head of the students had just ended, and she must have been filled with a whirlwind of emotions that I could not even empathize with.

Without meaning to, I simply followed her back as I walked up to her from the corner of the field.

The sound of footsteps stops, and before I can speak, President opens her mouth.

“Next is the cultural festival …and it’ll be my real last job.”

The sound of her voice showed a strong sense of determination.

For the President, the next festival is the last big stage and climax in the true sense of the word.

Her desire to do so must be greater than anyone else’s.

I don’t know what a newcomer like me should say in a situation like this.

“I haven’t seen much of President’s greatness, so I have high expectations.”

“….”

Looking back at President’s face, I realize that there are no words in the Minato-kun dictionary that can be positive and encouraging at a time like this.

On the contrary, if I were someone who could throw words that would please a high school girl in a situation like this, I wouldn’t be this twisted.

The corners of my mouth slightly turns up and I turn to confront the President.

First of all, there was a wry smile, followed by the usual dignified President’s appearance.

“Of course, I’ll have Shinra work as well.”.”

“…Of course.”

It was just a one-day relaxation, a prelude to the festival.

But, even so, the first part of the Sakura Festival, the sports festival, which was a break from the less stimulating days of everyday life, came to an end.

The distant clamoring of students and spectators lingered, the hot wind that blew over the school grounds at the end of summer caresses the skin as if to announce the prelude to the next phase of the festival.

But, it was a little too cold for one person.